Stanley camping getaway

For Labor Day weekend, we went with some friends, the Lennbergs, to Stanley/Red Fish and camped, hiked, played at the lake, fished, paddleboarded, and just enjoyed the great and beautiful surroundings!  Stanley and Red Fish is probably our favorite getaway close to Boise because the Sawtooth Mountains are unparalleled in beauty (at least for Idaho, anyways)!  The only bummer about the scenery all weekend was that there was quite a bit of smoke in the air from all of the forest fires this summer.

 

 

Here are some highlights from the trip:

 

1. Grandjean hot springs: My flip flops breaking, Eric picking up a snake, Kaita enjoying her "nakedness", and the lovely warm water by the cold river.

2.  The food!  We enjoyed awesome tin foil dinners, "gourmet" s'mores and peach cobbler for days, amazing breakfast burritos a la Courtney, and addictive bean dip from Costco that gave us the toots!

3. Waking up in the morning thinking that bears had been in our campsite overnight! (mostly just Courtney thought that.)

4.  The kids playing so happily by the stream at our campsite for HOURS.

5.  Paddleboarding:  Getting Tucker (who was scared to death) on the SUP, paddling Courtney around in circles because our SUP was pointed the wrong direction, and just enjoying the water and views of the lake (minus the smoke).

6.  Stanley Lake: We went there at dusk the first night and the weather, the lake, and the mountains were just perfect (see pic below)!  It was truly breathtaking.

7.  Hiking with the kids: The "littles" complaining about their legs not being able to "work" or needing to be carried (oh geez), Kaita's make-shift baby carrier (because somebody forgot to pack one), and getting our shoes wet (on accident, after telling the kids not to) in the creek (good one).

8.  Playing cards by lantern, err, headlamp and flashlight at dark.  Fun times.

9.  Going to church dressed in not-so-nice-church-attire in a little log chapel overlooking the majestic Sawtooth mountains (good thing that is acceptable there).

10.  Laughing, and getting frustrated with the kids, all at the same time for their inability to stay out of the fire (boys), to stay clean for more than 2.5 seconds, to get out of the snacks (all day long), and for climbing up on the table and getting into everything (Kaita).  Might not sound like a highlight, but it was sure funny.  Kids +Dirt=MESS

 

 

Here are some pictures (hard to narrow down).

Hiking with little kids is hard work.

Driving up to Stanley Lake.

This place is for reals.  We like going when the sun is setting, it is spectacular!

Favorite photo of the trip hands-down.  Christmas card??

Action shot.

 A-man loves to fish!

Sitting around the campfire.  We loved roasting s'mores, playing cards, and seeing the deer!

Cool shot.  Courtney has skills.

 

Pardon the smoky skies (from all the forest fires this summer), but those Sawtooth mountains are something else!

Yes, we went to church looking like that.  Not too shabby, eh?

Playing at Red Fish Lake.

So sad to have the smoky skies because this lake and mountains are breathtaking!

 

Eric giving the SUP a try.

I even got our dog to try the SUP!  Let's just say he wasn't a fan!

We had to jump off the dock, or course!  It was COLD!

Granjean Hot Springs.  Perfect little pockets of warm water right next to the river!

Our friends, the Lennbergs.

We had the best time!!  Until next year...